TY - JOUR A1 - Beck, Eberhard A1 - Russo, Pietro A1 - Gliozzo, Biancamaria A1 - Jäger, Wolfram A1 - Papa, Vincenzo A1 - Wildt, Ludwig A1 - Pezzino, Vincenzo A1 - Lang, Norbert T1 - Identification of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF I) receptors in ovarian cancer JF - In: Gynecologic Oncology 53(1994)2, 196–201 N2 - Abstract The objective of this study was to test if specific insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF I) receptors are expressed in ovarian cancer tissue. Thirteen tissue specimens from primary ovarian cancers, 1 specimen from a primary peritoneal carcinoma, 10 specimens from metastatic lesions of ovarian carcinomas, and 4 specimens from recurrent ovarian cancers together with 13 normal ovaries were tested for their content of insulin and IGF-I receptors, by the application of specific insulin and IGF-I receptor radioimmunoassays. The insulin receptor (IR) and IGF-I receptor (IGF R) content in the primary tumors varied between 23.8-321.4 and 16.4-554.2 ng/0.1 mg DNA, respectively. Metastatic lesions contained between 12.3 and 226.7 ng IR/0.1 mg DNA and between 7.5 and 459.4 ng IGF R/0.1 mg DNA. In recurrent tumors the receptor concentrations were in the range of 41.5-79.8 and 48.9-160.9 ng/0.1 mg DNA for insulin and IGF-I receptors, respectively. Normal ovarian tissue contained between 12.2 and 150.1 ng IR and between 21.4 and 420.1 ng IGF R per 0.1 mg DNA, respectively. As both insulin and IGF-I receptors are present in ovarian cancer tissue, the effects of insulin and IGF-I as potential growth factors in ovarian cancer should be further investigated. Copyright © 1994 Academic Press. All rights reserved. Y1 - 1994 SN - 0090-8258 SP - 196 EP - 201 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gebauer, Gerhard A1 - Fehm, Tanja A1 - Merkle, Elisabeth A1 - Beck, Eberhard A1 - Lang, Norbert A1 - Jäger, Wolfram T1 - Epithelial Cells in Bone Marrow of Breast Cancer Patients at Time of Primary Surgery: Clinical Outcome During Long-Term Follow-Up JF - In: J. Clin. Oncol. 19(2001)16, 3669 – 3674 N2 - PURPOSE: To evaluate the detection of epithelial cells in bone marrow of breast cancer patients as an indicator of metastatic disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1989 and 1994, bone marrow biopsies were performed on 393 breast cancer patients during primary surgery. Specimens were stained immunocytochemically for epithelial cells expressing cytokeratins or the epithelial membrane antigen. The long-term outcomes of these patients were analyzed in this study. RESULTS: In 166 of 393 patients, epithelial cells were found in bone marrow (BM) aspirates. These patients were designated BM+. The rate of tumor recurrence or cancer-related death was significantly higher in BM+ patients than in BM− patients. Multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model revealed BM status as a prognostic parameter independent of tumor size and axillary lymph node status. However, tumor size and axillary lymph node status were clearly superior prognostic parameters. CONCLUSION: Disseminated epithelial cells in BM are associated with poor clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. However, the presence of these cells is not a sufficient parameter to predict growing metastases in the majority of patients, suggesting that epithelial cells in the BM of breast cancer patients at the time of surgery have limited metastatic potential. The role of these cells needs to be further evaluated. Y1 - 2001 SP - 3669 EP - 3674 ER -